Issue # 043

Date:  Thursday October 22nd, 1998  8:13 pm

Straight from Dave Meltzer of The Wrestling Observer:
Vader has officially signed with All Japan Pro Wrestling. He is
expected to both team with and battle Stan Hansen. Vader is legally
forbidden from competing in WCW until December 1999, which is when his
WWF contract would have expired. Since neither side is interested in the other, that shouldn't be a huge issue. Vader can still compete part-time in ECW as well, if the two sides come to terms.

There are plans to give Saturn a big push, including a program for the
US Title against Bret Hart.

Eddie Guerrerowill ultimately exploit the LwO, taking huge percentages
of their salaries. He will act as their agent.

Goldberg has nixed the idea of doing a feud with Chris Jericho. All
the interviews leading to this will be for wasted.

Booker T may make his return at Halloween Havoc

The management for Jackie Chan has nixed any thoughts of a match
against Ernest Miller; it won't happen.

Playboy will NOT be publishing photo's of Sable. There were negotiations, but they were far apart on money figures. This won't be
happening (I hear heart's breaking all over the world)

The above information was directly from Dave Meltzer's Wrestling
Observer.  To truly be informed about the wrestling business, I suggest you subscribe directly to Dave Meltzer's Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
There are so many great On-Line Newsletters and web sites; none of
them can compare to The Wrestler Observer. Many of the news boards
you find on the internet get their information directly from Meltzer.
To subscribe, send $10 for 4 issues to the following address:
The Wrestling Observer
P.O. Box 1228
Campbell CA 95009-1228
===========================================
WCW Thunder Report for October 22nd, 1998
By Steve Appy Rey Mysterio Jr. pinned Super Calo in 4:13
Two of the best Light Heavyweights in the world. Neither man played
the heel, just a straight up aerial showdown. Mysterio nailed Calo
with an improved version of the Alabama Jam, and scored the pin after
a Frankensteiner of the top rope. Super Calo needs a few television
victories to get some credibility back.

The entire LwO entered the ring, and Eddie Guerrerooffered Mysterio a
spot in the Latino World Order. Rey turned the spot down, and
Guerrero was on the verge of attacking Mysterio. Chavo was lurking in
the background, with insanity in his eyes.

 

Bravo! That would be a huge mistake to saddle Mysterio with this lame
gimmick.

Tony Shaivonie interviewed Diamond Dallas Page. Usual DDP interview
(he brags about how hard a worker he is, odds against him, etc.).
Only interesting part is that there were audible boo's when DDP
challenged Goldberg; at least a few fans are viewing DDP as a heel in
all this.

Alex Wright pinned Johnny Swinger in 3:24
Despite all of Wright's boasts, he actually is the best WCW wrestler
from Europe (definitely better than Smiley, Finlay, or The Bulldog).
Wright pinned Swinger after a Reverse Neckbreaker.

TV Champion Chris Jericho defeated Kanyon in 9:34 when Raven was
defeated (!?!)
Kanyon and Jericho had a duel on the mics, both proclaiming themselves
the best.  Jericho's already becoming a HUGE star; Kanyon will be a superstar one as well. I love Kanyon's maneuvers (I don't care if he invented them, he performs them well). Raven watched from ringside. The ref was knocked out, and Raven stormed the ring. Jericho threw him into the Liontamer, and Raven submitted. its pathetic when matches end
because a non-participant is defeated (its not the first time, and
won't be the last). The announcers continued emphasizing that Raven
has been acting strange lately.

Saturn pinned Norman Smiley in 4:19
Smiley actually got in a little offense; Saturn won after delivering a
Death Valley Driver. Smiley didn't look very good on offense.

Lex Luger defeated Scotty Riggs via submission with the Torture Rack
in 5:46
Luger sure hasn't improved over the years. If anything, he just keeps
getting worst. The only one who has ever made Luger look good is Ric
Flair or Ricky Steamboat. Luger scored the victory after The Backbreaker.

Juventud Guerrera Jr. pinned Prince Iaukai in 4:03
While Juvi actually is kind of popular, I think his image bothers many
male fans. Too bad, he's one of the best. Of course Disco Inferno
jumped Juvi, and then Kidman jumped into the mix. All three brawled
all over the ringside area.

Konnan defeated Scott Armstrong via submission in 3:11
Lucha Libre and Southern brawling don’t mix. Scott is a quality
worker, though he doesn't look super cool in his new tights.
Armstrong was given some offense, none of which looked good. The
curse of the Armstrong's continues. Konnan regained control, put on
The Tequila Sunrise and gained a victory.

Highlights of the Sting/Hart feud aired. This is the match at
Halloween Havoc that I'm most looking forward to.

Dean Malenko defeated Kendall Windham via submission in 1:30
Windham told Malenko that he is not worthy to be a Horseman. So, here
we have the beginning of Barry Windham's return angle. While Kendall
was once a pretty good worker, he lost most of that years ago.
Malenko hooked The Texas Cloverleaf for the win. its good for
Malenko to score victories over such large men (Windham, The Barbarian).

The rest of the Horseman joined Malenko in the ring. Arn Anderson was
very pissed that Bischoff ripped on Arn's family Monday night. Flair
repeated his desire to take over WCW and become the new boss. Poor
Benoit & Mongo were never handed the microphone.

Sting defeated The Giant via disqualification in 2:30
The Giant actually hit Sting with a reverse Russian Leg Sweep. After
Sting bodyslammed The Giant, Sting prepared to place The Giant into the
Scorpion. Scott Steiner, Scott Hall and Vincent ran in the ring to
cause the DQ. Rick Steiner, Kevin Nash, Lex Luger, and Konnan made
the save for Sting.

Notes: A slightly better than average Thunder show. The main event
was weak; the highlight of the show, as usual, was the appearance of
The Four Horseman.
===========================================
Reader Mailbag
Submitted by reader: Lodi6
FANTASY BOOKING (This will not happen, its just a creative idea)
Thunder 10/22:
Jericho comes down to the ring and grabs the mic, and he trashes
Goldberg and calls him a coward. He tells him that if he's a real man
he'll come down and fight him right now. (Camera goes to the back
where we see Jericho's 2 out of shape guards holding Goldberg's door
closed and we see that its been pad locked from the outside.)
Jericho tells Goldberg that he has to the count of 10 to get to the
ring or he'll lose by forfeit. As Jericho starts his count we see
Goldberg burst down the door and floor the guards, he takes off for
the ring. He gets there at about the 8 count. Jericho has his back
to Goldberg and is still counting, when he reaches ten he turns around
and Goldberg Spears him, and goes for the Jackhammer. But Jericho is
able to drop to the floor and get out of the ring to the back where
Goldberg chases after him.

Match: Raven Vs Sick Boy, Before the match Raven gives an interview
where he talks about how good and easy everything is for Page, and how
he should be the one who's got the life. Raven wins the match easily
and afterwards he DDT's Sick boy onto a steel chair screaming FEEL MY
PAIN over and over until Saturn runs out to stop him, however, Kanyon
stops Saturn and Page runs in to make the save as Raven, Kanyon, and
Lodi are triple teaming Saturn.

Main event: Page Vs Hall, Hall comes to the ring suitably wasted but
he still wrestles a solid match, but at about the 10 minute mark
Raven, Kanyon, and Lodi come down and attack Page causing the DQ.
Hall just picks up his drink and leaves. As the trio are beating up
on Page, Goldberg comes out and Raven and Kanyon bail out as Lodi is
speared and Jackhammered. Goldberg tries to help Page up but Page
gives him the Diamond Cutter and looks very upset when he realizes who
he hit.

Halloween Havoc:
Main Event: Goldberg Vs Page (this should be the main event anyway),
this should be about a 20 minute match with each man giving everything
he's got but just not being able to put the other away. The last few
minutes go something like this, Goldberg goes for the spear but Page
moves and Goldberg crashes into the corner as he stumbles out Page
nails the Diamond Cutter. Goldberg kicks out after the Diamond Cutter
at 2-3/4 and after they get to their feet he gives Page the spear and
Jackhammer. Page kicks out from the pin attempt at 2-9/10. At this
point Kanyon and Lodi come down to the ring and this gets Goldberg and
the refs attention, as the ref yells at Kanyon and Lodi, Raven and Jericho sneak up on Goldberg from behind, Jericho nails him the back of the head with a chair and then Raven Evenflows him, he then DDT's Page and pulls him over on top of Goldberg and they get out of the ring. The ref turns around and makes the 3 count.

Over the next month Jericho feuds with Goldberg and Raven feuds with
Page over the title. Jericho brings in Ahmed Johnson to be his new
Body Guard (getting rid of the out of shape ones) and Goldberg
continues to fight alone. Goldberg and Jericho constantly run in on
each others interviews and matches, but never actually have a match
themselves. Page gets help from Saturn in his fight against Raven and
Kanyon, and they all do run-ins and face off in tag matches.

At World War 3, Jericho loses a ladder match for the TV title with
Booker T. thanks to Goldberg. Raven beats Page for the belt in a
Raven's rules match without any outside help. In the WW3 match
Goldberg wins.

Over the next month its more of the Page Vs Raven feud, and Goldberg
and Jericho continue their thing. Jericho gets a win over Goldberg on
a Nitro with some help from Ahmed. This sets up a Goldberg Vs Jericho
Hell in the Cell type Cage match at Starcade, which Goldberg would
manage to win, and Page would beat Raven to set up a Page Vs Goldberg
Rematch at the next PPV. From here Jericho and Raven's groups could
team up and feud with the Wolfpack, and eventually they would feud
with each other with Jericho going face. Somewhere in '99 Jericho
would get his first World Heavyweight championship.

All in all this brings some life to the Heavyweight title, it raises
Raven and Jericho into the main eventer status and it raises Kanyon,
Saturn, and Ahmed a level. It makes Goldberg interesting again and
rewards Page for all of the good work he's done for the company.
Eric
===========================================
Reader Mailbag
Submitted by reader: Mrmonteiro
I know from experience that whenever the topic of wrestling is brought
up, people react by saying "oh yeah! You mean WWF or WCW, sometimes
ECW." OK! That’s great, and I support each of these major promotions.
I enjoy watching my fellow workers get their shots at prime time and
possibly make it to superstar status. Being a professional wrestler
myself, and part owner of an independent wrestling federation, I know
we have to pay our dues. I have to focus my attention on the men and
women who work just as hard as if not harder than those that are lucky
to have gotten into one of the big three promotions. We must remember
that each and every superstar that is highlighted each week on RAW
NITRO, ECW TV, began their career in some small local, or "Backyard Fed." They all started somewhere. They just were not made from some superstar factory. They paid their dues by grinding their way to the top of some smaller fed, and was lucky good enough to be recognized by someone in the business. I say “Do not forget the little guys." That’s where the heart of wrestling beats.

The small hometown wrestling fed.’s are filled with these, the weekend
warriors that put their hearts into each match. Sometimes these
wrestlers work for free. They are the nameless faces that we can
sometimes see on local cable access channels. Each of these people has
the same desire to shine, as did Austin, Goldberg, Sabu, Chyna, the list is endless. These people wrestle for the fans, and the hope that one day a booker for one of the big three may be sitting in the crowd discreetly searching for new talent. This is where wrestling was born.

Even Vince was a rookie somewhere..... I wish all those individuals the best of luck, and thanks for making our sport what it is today. So when you hear of a local wrestling group is putting on a show in your town, go out by a ticket! Help give these people some recognition and most of all: SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL INDY WRESTLERS!

One day you may be watching a Monday night wrestling show and see one
your local hometown wrestlers in the ring with the big boys.........
===========================================
Reader Mailbag
Submitted by reader: KahktusJak
I was watching the People's Court on TV today, and I saw some kid
suing another kid for injuring his ankle by twisting his ankle, and
the boy said he was copying Ken Shamrock's ankle lock from WWF
wrestling. This was pretty funny. The People's Court ... I wonder if
this is where the Rock goes when he gets a parking ticket.
===========================================
Reader Mailbag
Submitted by reader: Droors4496
I have something to say about the new 4 Horsemen. I don't think that
they are as good as the old ones for many reasons but the biggest one
is that the 4 Horsemen always has a bad rep as they were the most
fearful group in wrestling. They were the bad guys and now you have
Dean Malenko, Mongo and the Cripppler. These are not the baddest guys
in the sport!

One more thing, I think that the new 4 Horsemen by skill and attitude
should be Bret Hart, Billy Kidmen, Chavo Guererro.
===========================================
Reader Mailbag
Submitted by reader: SMDAILY1
I believe that the Austin / McMahon thing may have gone too far.
Making Austin a terrorist by holding McMahon hostage could backfire
on the WWF. I mean, really, a man of McMahon's wealth and stature
without more security? And with everything broadcast on the Titan
Tron in the arena, why wasn't security or the police notified?? Then
having it look like Mr. McMahon urinated on himself, was a bit much.
I have to admit though, I will continue to watch as the WWF is the
best soap opera on television!!
===========================================
Reader Mailbag
Submitted by reader: JJ29
<<The Ultimo Dragon learned he had a potentially career ending elbow
injury;>>
Wait a min now, you didn't report ALL the facts, yes he did have elbow
surgery but it was a WCW SANCTIONED doctor who performed the surgery
and it was because of the doctor that Dragon had a career ending
infection in his arm which has left it just about dead
===========================================
Reader Mailbag
Submitted by reader: Zapple9999
While I am willing to admit that WCW has its place, particularly for
young fans, the entertainment value in the past few months has taken a
nosedive. WCW was once quality and it gained in popularity because
they didn't have jobber matches, did have recognizable superstars, and
storylines that were consistent. Now the storylines change from week
to week and never resolve anything.  Remember the Dean Malenko-Jericho feud? That ended with no resolution. Then they brought Rey Mysterio into the mix. The whole thing disappeared after 2 weeks.  People just vanish from WCW for periods of time.

The wrestlers they give pushes to differ every week......one week all
Nitro is spent hyping Meng. The next week....more Meng hyping. The
week after, nothing is mentioned about Meng at all. WCW should also
get rid of the following wrestlers:

1. Roddy Piper-only wrestles for PPV's, disappears during the rest of
the year
2. Hogan- should turn hero once again before he retires
3. Meng- no one cares and he doesn't come off as the freak tough guy
he is
supposed to be
4. Disciple - bad as Hogan's lackey, equally bad as the Warrior's lackey
5. Bryan Adams- needs a new gimmick, get him out of Hollywood
6. Vincent-when your finishing move is the arm bar, you're in trouble
7. Fit Finlay- looks like he is 60, can he fight a non-jobber?
8. All of the Lwo except Eddie G. and La Parka - the rest are pointless
fill ins....
I love cruiserweights but they have no character development
9. Mongo- the worst Horseman ever!!!! Even if he left the Horsemen he
would still be lame
10. Sting needs to get out of the Wolfpac and either become his old
short haired hero self or go back to the rafters
11. Warrior- no body + no mic skills = no talent..........a
disappointment
12. Kanyon - claims he is the innovator of offense...too bad he has no
mic skills and has no storyline
13. Wrath- just because he is big does not make him cool
14. All the announcers with the exception of Mike Tenay-

That is my rant for now...E-mail me with your comments.......
===========================================
Reader Mailbag
Submitted by reader: TacoElf
I was very into wrestling in the 80's and early 90's, during the
"showtime" era. When the showtime era ended (like back in 1993) I
pretty much stopped watching wrestling. I had only watched WWF
before, and I had heard how great of a comeback wrestling in general
had made, so I started watching Nitro, getting to know the wrestlers
again, and getting into EVERY match. I would have even gotten into a
Rick Fuller vs. John Nord match if I had seen it. All the while, I
was thinking, "Man, all the talent has switched over to WCW" because I
saw wrestlers like Hogan and Savage. Without having seen WWF in 4
years, I would have defended Nitro against Raw any day. I was the
DEFINITION of a MARK save for the fact that I was familiar with "old
wrestling". Other than that I was completely clueless.

Then one day I flipped to Raw, and I was amazed at how quickly WWF
sucked me back in. One show was all it took. Now, whenever I watch WCW, I realize I DON'T CARE. its not entertainment watching Lenny Lane or
Fit Finlay. WCW has hardly any storylines, and when they do have
them, they are basically stupid. NORMAN SMILEY on a PPV? Bischoff is
scraping the bottom of the barrel. He resorts to stupid hypes, the
Hall angle is socially unacceptable, and WCW DOES COPY WWF. Like
McMahon, Bischoff is a major heel in WCW. Bischoff created Goldberg
AS A RESPONSE TO STEVE AUSTIN. The Warrior angle (we've seen that
before).

WWF is doing well with their newer younger stars, and I can't think of a wrestler who isn't involved in an angle of some sort (besides the OCCASIONAL jobber, which WCW thrives on). Hell, I gave WCW a chance, and I even know Bischoff's family personally, and I still say for WCW to get their damn act together.
===========================================
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Straight from The Wrestling Observer:
Vader has officially signed with All Japan Pro Wrestling. He is
expected to both team with and battle Stan Hansen. Vader is legally
forbidden from competing in WCW until December 1999, which is when his
WWF would have expired. Since neither side is interested in the
other, that shouldn't be a huge issue. Vader can still compete part
time in ECW as well, if the two sides come to terms.

There are plans to give Saturn a big push, including a program for the
US Title against Bret Hart.

Eddie Guerrerowill ultimatly exploit the LwO, taking huge percantages
of their salaries. He will act as their agent.

Goldberg has nixed the idea of doing a feud with Chris Jericho. All
the interviews leading to this will be for wasted.

Booker T may make his return at Halloween Havoc

The management for Jackie Chan has nixed any thoughts of a match
against Ernest Miller; it won't happen.

Playboy will NOT be publishing photo's of Sable. There was
negotiations, but they were far apart on money figures. This won't be
happening (I hear heart's breaking all over the world)
The following information was directly from Dave Meltzer's Wrestling
Observer.
To truly be informed about the wrestling business, I suggest you
subscribe directly to Dave Meltzer's Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
There are so many great On-Line Newsletters and web sites; none of
them can compare to The Wrestler Observer. Many of the news boards
you find on the internet get their information directly from Meltzer.
To subscribe, send $10 for 4 issues to the following address:
The Wrestling Observer
P.O. Box 1228
Campbell CA 95009-1228
Tell Dave that Steve Appy of the Wrestling Booking Sheet sent you.
===========================================
WCW Thunder Report for October 22nd, 1998
By Steve Appy Rey Mysterio Jr. pinned Super Calo in 4:13
Two of the best Light Heavyweights in the world. Neither man played
the heel, just a straight up aerial showdown. Mysterio nailed Calo
with an improved version of the Alabama Jam, and scored the pin after
a Frankensteiner of the top rope. Super Calo needs a few television
victories to get some credibility back.

The entire LwO entered the ring, and Eddie Guerrerooffered Mysterio a
spot in the Latino World Order. Rey turned the spot down, and
Guerrero was on the verge of attacking Mysterio. Chavo was lurking in
the background, with insanity in his eyes.
Bravo! That would be a huge mistake to saddle Mysterio with this lame
gimmick.

Tony Shaivonie interviewed Diamond Dallas Page. Usual DDP interview
(he brags about how hard a worker he is, odds against him, etc.).
Only interesting part is that there were audible boo's when DDP
challenged Goldberg; at least a few fans are viewing DDP as a heel in
all this.

Alex Wright pinned Johnny Swinger in 3:24
Despite all of Wright's boasts, he actually is the best WCW wrestler
from Europe (definitely better than Smiley, Finlay, or The Bulldog).
Wright pinned Swinger after a Reverse Neckbreaker.

TV Champion Chris Jericho defeated Kanyon in 9:34 when Raven was
defeated
Kanyon and Jericho had a duel on the mics, both proclaiming themselves
the best.
Jericho's already becoming a HUGE star; Kanyon will be a superstar one
as well. I love Kanyon's maneuvers (I don't care if he invented them,
he performs them well). Raven watched from ringside. The ref was
knocked out, and Raven stormed the ring. Jericho threw him into the
Liontamer, and Raven submitted. its pathetic when matches end
because a non-participant is defeated (its not the first time, and
won't be the last). The announcers continued emphasizing that Raven
has been acting strange lately.

Saturn pinned Norman Smiley in 4:19
Smiley actually got in a little offense; Saturn won after delivering a
Death Valley Driver. Smiley didn't very good on offense.

Lex Luger defeated Scotty Riggs via submission with the Torture Rack
in 5:46
Luger sure hasn't improved over the years. If anything, he just keeps
getting worst. The only one who has ever made Luger look good is Ric
Flair. Luger scored the victory after The Backbreaker.

Juventud Guerrera Jr. pinned Prince Iaukai in 4:03
While Juvi actually is kind of popular, I think his image bothers many
male fans. Too bad; he's one of the best. Of course Disco Inferno
jumped Juvi, and then Kidman jumped into the mix. All three brawled
all over the ringside area.

Konnan defeated Scott Armstrong via submission in 3:11
Lucha Libre and Southern brawling doesn't mix. Scott is a quality
worker; he doesn't look super cool in his new tights, though.
Armstrong was given some offense, none of which looked good. The
curse of the Armstrong's continues. Konnan regained control, put on
The Tequila Sunrise, and gained a victory.

Highlights of the Sting/Hart feud aired. This is the match at
Halloween Havoc that I'm most looking forward to.

Dean Malenko defeated Kendall Windham via submission in 1:30
Windham told Malenko that he is not worthy to be a Horseman. So, here
we have the beginning of Barry Windham's return angle. While Kendall
was once a pretty good worker, he lost most of that years ago.
Malenko hooked The Texas Cloverleaf for the win. its good for
Malenko to score victories over such large men (Windham, The Barbarian).

The rest of the Horseman joined Malenko in the ring. Arn Anderson was
very pissed that Bischoff ripped on Arn's family Monday night. Flair
repeated his desire to take over WCW, and become the new boss. Poor
Benoit & Mongo were never handed the microphone.

Sting defeated The Giant via disqualification in 2:30
The Giant actually hit Sting with a reverse Russian Leg Sweep. After
Sting bodyslammed The Giant, Sting prepared to place Sting into the
Scorpion. Scott Steiner, Scott Hall and Vincent ran in the ring to
cuase the DQ. Rick Steiner, Kevin Nash, Lex Luger, and Konnan made
the save for Sting.

Notes: A slightly better than average Thunder show. The main event
was weak; the highlight of the show, as usual, was the appearance of
The Four Horseman.
===========================================
Reader Mailbag
Submitted by reader: Lodi6
FANTASY BOOKING (This will not happen, its just a creative idea)
Thunder 10/22:
Jericho comes down to the ring and grabs the mic, and he trashes
Goldberg and calls him a coward. He tells him that if he's a real man
he'll come down and fight him right now. (Camera goes to the back
where we see Jericho's 2 out of shape guards holding Goldberg's door
closed and we see that its been pad locked from the outside.)
Jericho tells Goldberg that he has to the count of 10 to get to the
ring or he'll lose by forfeit. As Jericho starts his count we see
Goldberg burst down the door and floor the guards, he takes off for
the ring. He gets there at about the 8 count. Jericho has his back
to Goldberg and is still counting, when he reaches ten he turns around
and Goldberg Spears him, and goes for the Jackhammer. But Jericho is
able to drop to the floor and get out of the ring to the back where
Goldberg chases after him.

Match: Raven Vs Sick Boy, Before the match Raven gives an interview
where he talks about how good and easy everything is for Page, and how
he should be the one who's got the life. Raven wins the match easily
and afterwards he DDT's Sick boy onto a steel chair screaming FEEL MY
PAIN over and over until Saturn runs out to stop him, however, Kanyon
stops Saturn and Page runs in to make the save as Raven, Kanyon, and
Lodi are triple teaming Saturn.

Main event: Page Vs Hall, Hall comes to the ring suitably wasted but
he still wrestles a solid match, but at about the 10 minute mark
Raven, Kanyon, and Lodi come down and attack Page causing the DQ.
Hall just picks up his drink and leaves. As the trio are beating up
on Page, Goldberg comes out and Raven and Kanyon bail out as Lodi is
speared and Jackhammered. Goldberg tries to help Page up but Page
gives him the Diamond Cutter and looks very upset when he realizes who
he hit.

Halloween Havoc:
Main Event: Goldberg Vs Page (this should be the main event anyway),
this should be about a 20 minute match with each man giving everything
he's got but just not being able to put the other away. The last few
minutes go something like this, Goldberg goes for the spear but Page
moves and Goldberg crashes into the corner as he stumbles out Page
nails the Diamond Cutter. Goldberg kicks out after the Diamond Cutter
at 2-3/4 and after they get to their feet he gives Page the spear and
Jackhammer. Page kicks out from the pin attempt at 2-9/10. At this
point Kanyon and Lodi come down to the ring and this gets Goldberg and
the refs attention, as
the ref yells at Kanyon and Lodi, Raven and Jericho sneak up on
Goldberg from
behind, Jericho nails him the back of the head with a chair and then
Raven
Evenflows him, he then DDT's Page and pulls him over on top of
Goldberg and
they get out of the ring. The ref turns around and makes the 3 count.

Over the next month Jericho feuds with Goldberg and Raven feuds with
Page over the title. Jericho brings in Ahmed Johnson to be his new
Body Guard (getting rid of the out of shape ones) and Goldberg
continues to fight alone. Goldberg and Jericho constantly run in on
each others interviews and matches, but never actually have a match
themselves. Page gets help from Saturn in his fight against Raven and
Kanyon, and they all do run-ins and face off in tag matches.

At World War 3, Jericho loses a ladder match for the TV title with
Booker T. thanks to Goldberg. Raven beats Page for the belt in a
Raven's rules match without any outside help. In the WW3 match
Goldberg wins.

Over the next month its more of the Page Vs Raven feud, and Goldberg
and Jericho continue their thing. Jericho gets a win over Goldberg on
a Nitro with some help from Ahmed. This sets up a Goldberg Vs Jericho
Hell in the Cell type Cage match at Starcade, which Goldberg would
manage to win, and Page would beat Raven to set up a Page Vs Goldberg
Rematch at the next PPV. From here Jericho and Raven's groups could
team up and feud with the Wolfpack, and eventually they would feud
with each other with Jericho going face. Somewhere in '99 Jericho
would get his first World Heavyweight championship.

All in all this brings some life to the Heavyweight title, it raises
Raven and Jericho into the main eventer status and it raises Kanyon,
Saturn, and Ahmed a level. It makes Goldberg interesting again and
rewards Page for all of the good work he's done for the company.
Eric
===========================================
Reader Mailbag
Submitted by reader: Mrmonteiro
I know from experience that whenever the topic of wrestling is brought
up. People react by saying "oh yeah! You mean WWF or WCW, sometimes
ECW." OK! That’s great, and I support each of these major promotions.
I enjoy watching my fellow workers get their shots at prime time and
possibly make it to superstar status. Being a professional wrestler
myself, and part owner of an independent wrestling federation, I know
we have to pay our dues. I have to focus my attention on the men and
women who work just as hard as if not harder than those that are lucky
to have gotten into one of the big three promotions. We must remember
that each and every superstar that is highlighted each week on RAW
NITRO, ECW TV, began their career in
some small local, or "Backyard Fed." They all started somewhere. They
just were not made from some superstar factory. They paid their dues
by grinding their way to the top of some smaller fed, and was lucky
good enough to be recognized by someone in the business. I say “Do not
forget the little guys." That’s were the heart of wrestling beats.

The small home town wrestling fed.’s are filled with these the weekend
warriors that put their hearts into each match. Sometimes these
wrestlers work for free. They are the nameless faces that we can
sometimes see on local cable access channels. Each of these people has
the same desire to shine, as did Austin, Goldberg, Sabu,
Chyna, the list is endless. These people wrestle for the fans, and the
hope that one day a booker for one of the big three may be sitting in
the crowd discreetly searching for new talent. This is where wrestling
was born. Even Vince was a rookie somewhere..... I wish all those
individuals the best of luck, and thanks for making
our sport what it is today. So when you hear of a local wrestling
group is putting on a show in your town, go out by a ticket! Help give
these people some recognition and most of all:
SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL INDY WRESTLERS!
One day you may be watching a Monday night wrestling show and see one
your local hometown wrestlers in the ring with the big boys.........
===========================================
Reader Mailbag
Submitted by reader: KahktusJak
I was watching the People's Court on TV today, and I saw some kid
suing another kid for injuring his ankle by twisting his ankle, and
the boy said he was copying Ken Shamrock's ankle lock from WWF
wrestling. This was pretty funny. The People's Court ... I wonder if
this is where the Rock goes when he gets a parking ticket.
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Reader Mailbag
Submitted by reader: Droors4496
I have something to say about the new 4 Horsemen. I don't think that
they are as good as the old ones for many reasons but the biggest one
is that the 4 Horsemen always has a bad rep as they were the most
fearful group in wrestling. They were the bad guys and now you have
Dean Malenko, Mongo and the Cripppler. These are not the baddest guys
in the sport!

One more thing, I think that the new 4 Horsemen by skill and attitude
should be Bret Hart, Billy Kidmen, Chavo Guererro.
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Reader Mailbag
Submitted by reader: SMDAILY1
I believe that the Austin / McMahon thing may have gone too far.
Making Austin a terrorist by holding McMahon hostage could back fire
on the WWF. I mean, really, a man of McMahon's wealth and stature
without more security? And with the everything broadcast on the Titan
Tron in the arena, why wasn't security or the police notified?? Then
having it look like Mr. McMahon urinated on himself, was a bit much.
I have to admit though, I will continue to watch as the WWF is the
best soap opera on television!!
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Reader Mailbag
Submitted by reader: JJ29
<<The Ultimo Dragon learned he had a potentially career ending elbow
injury;>>
Wait a min now, you didn't report ALL the facts, yes he did have elbow
surgery but it was a WCW SANCTIONED doctor who performed the surgery
and it was because of the doctor that Dragon had a career ending
infection in his arm which has left it just about dead
===========================================
Reader Mailbag
Submitted by reader: Zapple9999
While I am willing to admit that WCW has its place, particularly for
young fans, the entertainment value in the past few months has taken a
nosedive. WCW was once quality and it gained in popualrity because
they didn't have jobber matches, did have recognizable superstars, and
storylines that were consistent. Now the storylines change from week
to week and never resolve anything....remember the Dean
Malenko-Jericho feud? That ended with no resolution. Then they brought
Rey Mysterio into the mix. The whole thing disappeared after 2 weeks.
People just vanish from WCW for periods of time.

The wrestlers they give pushes to differ every week......one week all
Nitro is spent hyping Meng. The next week....more Meng hyping. The
week after, nothing is mentioned about Meng at all. WCW should also
get rid of the following wrestlers:
1. Roddy Piper-only wrestles for PPV's, disappears during the rest of
the year
2. Hogan- should turn hero once again before he retires
3. Meng- no one cares and he doesn't come off as the freak tough guy
he is
supposed to be
4. Disciple - bad as Hogan's lackey, equally bad as the Warrior's lackey
5. Bryan Adams- needs a new gimmick, get him out of Hollywood
6. Vincent-when your finishing move is the arm bar, you're in trouble
7. Fit Finlay- looks like he is 60, can he fight a non-jobber?
8. All of the Lwo except Eddie G. and La Parka - the rest are pointless
fill ins....
I love cruiserweights but they have no character development
9. Mongo- the worst Horseman ever!!!! Even if he left the Horsemen he
would still be lame
10. Sting needs to get out of the Wolfpac and either become his old
short haired hero self or go back to the rafters
11. Warrior- no body + no mic skills = no talent..........a
disappointment
12. Kanyon - claims he is the innovator of offense...too bad he has no
mic skills and has no storyline
13. Wrath- just because he is big does not make him cool
14. All the announcers with the exception of Mike Tenay-
That is my rant for now...E-mail me with your comments.......
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Reader Mailbag
Submitted by reader: TacoElf
I was very into wrestling in the 80's and early 90's, during the
"showtime" era. When the showtime era ended (like back in 1993) I
pretty much stopped watching wrestling. I had only watched WWF
before, and I had heard how great of a comeback wrestling in general
had made, so I started watching Nitro, getting to know the wrestlers
again, and getting into EVERY match. I would have even gotten into a
Rick Fuller vs. John Nord match if I had seen it. All the while, I
was thinking, "Man, all the talent has switched over to WCW" because I
saw wrestlers like Hogan and Savage. Without having seen WWF in 4
years, I would have defended Nitro against Raw any day. I was the
DEFINITION of a MARK save for the fact that I was familiar with "old
wrestling". Other than that I was completely clueless.

Then one day I flipped to Raw, and I was amazed at how quickly WWF
sucked me
back in. One show was all it took. Now, whenever I watch WCW, I
realize I DON'T CARE. its not entertainment watching Lenny Lane or
Fit Finlay. WCW has hardly any storylines, and when they do have
them, they are basically stupid. NORMAN SMILEY on a PPV? Bischoff is
scraping the bottom of the barrel. He resorts to stupid hypes, the
Hall angle is socially unacceptable, and WCW DOES COPY WWF. Like
McMahon, Bischoff is a major heel in WCW. Bischoff created Goldberg
AS A RESPONSE TO STEVE AUSTIN. The Warrior angle (we've seen that
before). WWF is doing well with their newer younger stars, and I
can't think of a wrestler who isn't involved in an angle of some sort
(besides the OCCASIONAL jobber, which WCW thrives on). Hell, I gave
WCW a chance, and I even know Bischoff's family personally, and I
still say for WCW to get their damn act together.
===========================================
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